Rome’s Jazz Spring Season Kicks Off With Mehldau, Cafiso, and the Ronciglione Festival

Spring time is going to have many interesting Jazz happenings in the Rome area. Let’s have a look to the key events in March, April and May.

From tonight until March 26 Casa del Jazz will host Gary Smulyan, considered one of the world’s best baritone saxophone player, who also performed with Chet Baker, Lee Konitz and Jimmy Knepper. His trio’s show will start at 9pm. A major and very peculiar jazz concert will also take place there, on March 31. Pippo Matino, with its electric/rock jazz, will play a tribute to Joe Zawinul at 9pm. Tickets can be bought on-site from 7:30pm to 10:30pm or online at Listicket.

This Friday and Saturday, Italy’s leading Jazz pianist Stefano Bollani will perform at Auditorium – Parco della Musica “Sheik Yer Zappa”, a tribute to Frank Zappa, accompanied by Josh Roseman (trombone), Jason Adasiewicz (vibraphone), Larry Grenadier (contrabass) and Jim Black (drums). At 9 pm. An even better piano concert should be the solo show by Brad Mehldau, currently perhaps the top world’s pianist, on March 29, at 9pm. Info about tickets here

But good Jazz is not only played in Rome. Ronciglione, the little town north of the capital well known for its Carnival, will host a Spring Jazz festival from April 22 to the 25th. The second edition, part of the bigger Tuscia in Jazz initiative, will feature more than 160 jazz players from all over the world, including well know names such as Italy’s most worldwide famous jazz artist Francesco Cafiso (April 22 at 10:30pm), Ben Sidran and Gegè Telesforo (April 23 at 10:30pm), Doug Weiss (April 24 at 10:30pm) and Rick Margitza (April 25 at 10:30pm), and a Jazz camp. A castle, a church, a theatre and the musc school will host all the concerts and other events.

Another major Jazz centre around Rome is the middle-age village of Morlupo with its Borgo di Ascanio club. Local emerging bands, like the Notown (March 26 at 10pm), perform in Rome province’s most famous Jazz club.

Rome’s best jazz club, and Italy’s most ancient, is the Alexander Platz, also well known at European level. Alexander Platzis totally devoted to jazz and has a very intense program: every night there is at least one concert. We suggest you the Italian young talent Nicola Angelucci (drums) and his quartet on March 30.

Another major Jazz club here in Rome is the Cotton Club with its 1930s atmosphere (and the possibility to have dinner while listening to concerts). On April 8 Italy’s best young talent FrancescoCafiso (the only Italian playing at Obama’s election party) will play his saxophone there with his quartet. Can’t miss him!